Package



Aug. 14, 1956 I R, K. GRUNERT ET AL PACKAGE 5 Sheets-Sheet '1 Filed Feb.21, 1955 INVENTORS T A R E NS U5 RU GH EV Mr/ m u m RW/ Y ATTOP/VEYJ.

1956 R..K. GRUNERT ETAL PACKAGE 3 Shee ts-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21, 1955VENTORS GRUNERT K. zi

RANALD wnu m 5. HUSS w 9 v R. K. GRUNERT ET A1. 2,758,774 PACKAGE 7Filed Feb. 21, 19 55 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS RANALD K. GRUNERTW\LLIAM 5.HU5S

PACKAGE Ranald K. Grunert and William S. Huss, Appleton, Wis., assignorsto Marathon Corporation, Menasha, Wis., a corporation of WisconsinApplication February 21, 1955, Serial No. 489,362

8 'Claims. (Cl. 229-15) This invention relates to a package for theunitary carrying of a multiplicity of items which must be retained inseparate condition within the package. In a more particular application,the package is admirably suited for use in the relatively new field ofpackaged hot meals. In such particular use, the meal to be eaten isprepared and packaged by the restaurant or other food-sellinginstitution, and in this form it is transferred to the consumer at thepoint of preparation for carry-' ing to an ultimate destination forconsumption, or is transported by the preparing institution to a placesuch as the consumers home for consumption at that place. In eitherevent, there results an appreciable lapse of time between preparationand consumption, and there is further involved the act of transportationwhich will inevitably cause considerable jostling of the packaged meal.

It is thus essential that the meal be so packaged that the lapse of timewill not result in serious degradation of the various food items andthat the act of transportation not result in displacement or intermixingof the various food items. Our package achieves these results in ahighly satisfactory manner.

Until the advent of our package, there has been available no means ofsatisfactorily accomplishing the desired results. The packages commonlyfound are bulky, inconvenient to handle and use, and do notsatisfactorily maintain separation of the various food items. In mostusual form, these packages comprise merely a main carton or container inwhich the various items are loosely placed, or such a container havingloosely placed receptacles for the various food items. As a result ofthe handling such packages inevitably receive, with no satisfactorymeans to prevent displacement and intermixing of the foods contained,there frequently results a most unattractive and unpalatable endproduct, for consump tion by the purchaser.

Our package in a unique manner further functions as the serving meansfrom which the food is eaten, requiring no transfer from the carryingpackage to plates or other means of service. In addition, our packagealso provides means for retention of certain desired characteristics ofthe food products to be contained. Other objects and advantages of ourinvention will be readily apparent from the description of the followingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our complete package in open position,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the main carton forminga part of our package is formed,

Figure 3 is a perspective view, partially cut away, similar to Figure 1but with a part of the elements of the package removed,

Figure 4 is a perspective view, similar to Figure 1, but with thepackage in condition for consumption of the food contents, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view, with certain portions cut away, of ourcompleted package as it is ready for transportation of the foodcontents.

Referring first to Figure 1, it is seen that our package nited StatesPatent 2,758,774 Patented Aug. 14, 1956 comprises a main carton 1 withinwhich are disposed a pair of lower trays 2 and 3, only partiallyvisible, an upper tray 4 and an auxiliary carton supported within uppertray 4.

The main carton 1 is formed from the integral flexible blank shown inFigure 2, of paperboard or other suitable material. The blank of Figure2 is divided by a series of cut, score and perforation lines into aseries of walls, flaps, panels and other members. These include coverfront and top walls and 11 hinged together along a score line 12 and apair of cover side walls 13 hinged to the side edges of top wall 11along score lines 14. Glue flaps 15 are hinged to the side edges of sidewalls 13 adjacent cover front wall 10 by perforation lines 16.Triangular portions 17 of cover side walls 13 are defined adjacent flaps15 by perforation lines 18. Locking segments 19 are defined in adjacentportions of flaps 15 and portions 17 by cut lines 20 parallel to scorelines 14 and score lines 21 parallel to perforation lines 16. Segments20 are divided by score lines 22 which are a condition of perforationlines 16. Top wall 11 contains irregular cut lines 23 definingdepressable tabs 24, the purpose of which will be explained laterherein.

The blank of Figure 2 further includes a box part bottom wall having arear wall 31 and front wall 32 hinged to opposite edges thereof alongscore lines 33 and 34. Rear wall 31 is integrally hinged to cover topwall 11 along score line 35. The end edges of bottom wall 30 have boxpart end walls 36 hinged thereto along score lines 37, and a pair ofbellows panels 38 are hinged to the end edges of rear wall 31 and theadjacent side edges of side walls 36 along score lines 39 and 40respectively. Bellows panels 38 are diagonally divided by perforationlines 41 into triangular shaped portions 42 and 43. Diagonal perforationline 44 in side walls 36 define glue flap portions 45 in side walls 36.

A pair of glue flaps 46 is hinged to the side edges of box part frontwall 32 along score lines 47. Locking segments 48 are defined from boxpart front wall 32 and glue flaps 46 by score lines 49 parallel to scoreline 34 and score lines 50 parallel to score lines 47.

A T-shaped locking tab 51 is formed in bottom wall 30 by cut lines 52,53, 54 and 55, tab 51 being hinged to bottom wall 30 along score line56. Tab 51 has lateral extensions or portions 58, the function of whichwill be explained later herein. Locking tabs 59 are formed in box partside walls 36 by U-shaped cut lines 60 and are hinged to walls 36 alongscore lines 61.

Cut out portions 62 are formed in the end edges of box part side walls36, cut outs 63 are made in the remote corners of glue flaps 46 tocorrespond to cut outs 62 in the erected condition of the main carton,and box part side walls 36 and cover front panel 10 are along the sideedges cut away at 64 and 65 respectively, all for a purpose to bedescribed later herein.

Referring also to Figures 1, 3 and 4, it will be noted that lower trays2 and 3 are of well known manufacture, in which the four side walls aresomewhat inclined rela tive to the bottom. Upper tray 4 is similar,except that it is provided with supporting tabs which function in amanner to be described in detail later herein. Auxiliary carton 5 isalso of well known construction, and its bottom portion is similar totrays 2 and 3, but it has a cover wall 71 attached to one side wallthereof, the cover wall having elongated opening or slot 72 formedtherein.

Except for details previously indicated and to be fully described later,our main carton 1 is generally of conventional construction, and iserected in a conventional fashion. Front wall 32 is erectedperpendicularly to bottom wall 30, and glue flaps 46 are turnedinwardly. Box part side walls 36 are then erected perpendicular to Itwill be obvious that numerous modifications might be made in our packagewithout departing from the spirit of our invention. For example,perforation lines 18, 41 and 44 might equally well be score linesproviding the required weakness for collapsing of the carton. And aspreviously mentioned, additional lower trays might be provided by merelyadding additional corresponding features already described. Therefore,it is to be understood that no limitations upon our invention areintended except as specifically set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A package for separately containing a variety of items, the packagecomprising a collapsible main carton having a box part including bottom,front and side walls and a rear wall connected to the side walls by webspermitting collapse of the rear wall to a position coplanar with saidbottom Wall and a cover hinged to the rear wall for telescoping over thebox part and including top, front and side walls, the cover walls incover-telescoped position overlying the corresponding box walls, thecover front wall at its side edges being connected to the adjacent edgesof the cover side walls by a readily-severable connection, a pluralityof lower trays positioned on the bottom wall of the box part andtogether forming a tray layer superimposed on substantially all of saidbottom wall surface, an upper tray spaced above the lower trays of sizeto fit within the open box part, the side walls of said upper trayhaving tabs connected to the free upper edges thereof and folded overthe free top edges of the box part side walls to overlie the outer facesthereof to support said upper tray in such spaced relation above thelower trays, and a closed auxiliary carton supported within said uppertray and having an opening in the top thereof, the box part front andside walls and cover front and side walls having adjacent the edgesalong which such front and side walls are joined together a pair ofspaced out lines parallel to the box part bottom wall, the upper cutlines being positioned immediately below the lowermost portion of theupper tray and the lower cut lines being positioned immediately abovethe upper portion of said lower trays, said cut lines defining lockingand supporting portions pushed inwardly to lock the cover and box parttogether, to support the adjacent lower portions of the upper tray andto override the adjacent portions of the lower trays for retentionthereof, the box part side walls having tabs defined therein and hingedinwardly parallel to the bottom wall to closely overlie the upperportion of the adjacent lower trays for retention thereof, and the boxpart bottom wall having a tab defined therein and extended upwardlybetween adjacent lower trays, said tab having lateral extensions on itsfree end bendable to closely overlie the upper portion of the lowertrays for retention thereof, and the cover top wall having a confinedportion thereof depressed into the opening in the top of the auxiliarycarton disposed therebelow for retention of said carton in fixedposition.

2. A package for separately containing a variety of items, the packagecomprising a main carton having a box part including bottom, front andside walls and a rear wall and a cover for telescoping over the box partand including top, front and side walls, the cover walls incover-telescoped position overlying the corresponding box part walls,the cover front wall at its side edges being connected to the adjacentedges of the cover side walls, a lower tray positioned on the bottomwall of the box part, an upper tray above the lower tray of size to fitwithin the box part, the side walls of said upper tray having tabsconnected to the free upper edges thereof and folded over the free topedges of the box part side walls to overlie the outer faces thereof tosupport said upper tray, the box part side walls having tabs definedtherein and hinged inwardly above the bottom wall to closely overlie theupper portion of the lower tray for retention thereof.

3. A package according to claim 2, further characterized by the factthat the main carton is collapsible, the upper tray is spaced above thelower tray and maintained in such spaced relationship by said tabsconnected to the upper edges of the upper tray, and the cover in packageclosed position is releasably locked to the box part.

4. A package according to claim 3, further characterized by the factthat the rear and side Walls of the box part are connected together byintegral webs permitting collapse of the rear walls to a positioncoplanar with the bottom wall.

5. A package according to claim 4, further characterized by the factthat the cover front wall at its side edges is connected to the adjacentedges of the cover side walls by a readily-severable connection.

6. A package according to claim 5, further characterized by having aplurality of lower trays positioned on the bottom wall of the box part,and by the fact that the bottom wall has tab portions defined thereinand extended upwardly between adjacent lower trays, said tab portionshaving lateral extensions on their free ends folded to closely overliethe upper portion of the lower trays for retention thereof, said tabportions being of such length that their free ends supportingly contactthe lowermost portion of the upper tray.

7. A package for separately containing a variety of items, the packagecomprising a collapsible main carton having a box part including bottom,front and side walls and a rear wall and a cover for telescoping overthe box part and including top, front and side walls, the cover Walls incover-telescoped position overlying the corresponding box part walls,the box part rear wall being connected to said box part side walls bywebs permitting collapse of said rear wall to a position coplanar withthe bottom wall, the cover front wall at its side edges being connectedto the adjacent edges of the cover side walls by a readily-severableconnection, a lower tray positioned on the bottom wall of the box part,an upper tray spaced above the lower tray of size to fit within the boxpart, the side walls of said upper tray having tabs connected to thefree upper edges thereof and folded over the free top edges of the boxpart side walls to overlie the outer faces thereof to support said uppertray, said main carton including means for releasably locking the boxpart and cover together in package-closed position.

8. A package according to claim 7, further characterized by having aplurality of lower trays positioned on the bottom wall, and by the factthat the box part side walls have tabs defined therein hinged inwardlyabove the bottom wall to closely overlie the adjacent upper portion ofthe lower trays for retention thereof and the bottom wall has cut linestherein defining tab portions therein and extended upwardly betweenadjacent lower trays, said tab portions having lateral extensions ontheir free ends folded to closely overlie the upper portion of the lowertrays for retention thereof, said tab portions being of such length thattheir free ends supportingly contact the lowermost portion of the uppertray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS814,069 Naylor Mar. 6, 1906 1,669,617 Kennedy May 15, 1928 1,901,530Pellymounter Mar. 14, 1933 1,991,427 Spachmann Feb. 19, 1935 2,329,637Miller Sept. 14, 1943

